


Queen of hearts

by KathleenRaven



Series: Olivarry Bingo [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Modern Royalty, Prince Oliver Queen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:53:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26343682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KathleenRaven/pseuds/KathleenRaven
Summary: If you ask Barry, his relationship with Oliver had always been like a fairy tale, but he never imagined he was dating a real princePlease read the notes!!!
Relationships: Barry Allen/Oliver Queen
Series: Olivarry Bingo [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029864
Comments: 2
Kudos: 52
Collections: Olivarry Bingo 2020





	Queen of hearts

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, I hope you are well. Here is another work for Olivarry Bingo, I hope you like it :)
> 
> As you could see in the tags it's a story about royalty, so I have to make some little notes before starting:
> 
> 1.The country that is mentioned is fictitious
> 
> 2\. Some rules and protocols mentioned exist in reality for royalty, others I modified and some others I invented
> 
> 3.I apologize for the bad pun in the title xD 
> 
> 4\. English is not my first language, I hope there is no mistake, if so I apologize from now on 
> 
> I think that's all

If you asked Barry, he would define his relationship with Oliver as a fairy tale, everything had been magical and romantic since they first met.

_It was Barry's first year at Central City University, and unlike many of his classmates, he decided to spend his Friday at the library instead of going to some party. He walked around the shelves until he found the books he needed, the pile was at his eye level, that's why he didn't see he was going to bump into anyone until he was on the floor, his books were everywhere and he felt like he had hit a brick wall._

_"Are you all right?"_

_He looked up, and quite the opposite of what he thought, he didn't hit a wall, he hit the most beautiful boy he had ever seen._

_"Yes... I... I'm sorry, I didn't see where I was going"_

_He could barely think straight_

_"I'll help you with your books"_

_That beautiful stranger took the books off the floor, putting them on a table, after a while there was only one left, Barry went to pick it up and the guy too, then, like in a romantic movie scene, their hands touched and they stared at each other while smiling, it only lasted a moment_

_"Thank you for helping me"_

_"You're welcome."_

_From that day on, every time Barry went to the library he saw that same guy, sometimes they greeted each other from afar and other times they only looked at each other when they thought the other one didn't notice. The furtive glances stopped until a certain Friday, Barry was sitting at his usual table, the same one where the book incident happened; he was doing a reading when he heard someone calling him_

_"Can I sit here?"_

_That was him._

_"Yes, of course"_

_"I can see you're busy, but would you give me a moment to tell you something?"_

_"Yes…"_

_"I'll get straight to the point, I've seen you here many times, I think you're a very handsome and cute boy. Would you like to go out for a coffee or something?"_

_"Right now I'm doing my homework, but I'd love to" he answered smiling._

_"I'll look forward to it"_

_Barry couldn't stop smiling, he was so distracted that he didn't notice that he dropped his backpack, bad luck since he had his laptop there, before it hit the ground, his companion caught it_

_"You just literally saved my life, I don't know what I would have done if my computer had broken down, thank you" he thought for a moment "I think this is not so urgent" he closed the book "so I could thank you for saving me with that coffee, my treat."_

_"Well, let's go"_

_"Wait, before that, can I know the name of my savior?"_

_The guy had been looking serious the whole time, now he was smiling and oh my God, Barry thought he couldn't be more attractive_

_"Oliver"_

_"Barry"_

That was almost five years ago, after that coffee they started dating and three months later they became boyfriends, were together throughout college and were already graduating. Right now they were in Oliver's apartment, he had a place near the university, he lived far away so he had to move, although he didn't complain, Barry could visit him very often, even just to pass the time

"What color did you put?"

"It's red, Ollie"

"Damn it" he muttered and took a card from the pile, then another ten until a red one appeared. "I hate this game" 

"I think you're going to hate it more now…" with a guilty expression he put a +4 card on the table "and uno!"

"Let's get on with it" he used a reverse card

"I won!"

"I don't know why I keep playing this silly game with you"

"Because you love me"

"Yes, that must be why"

Barry laughed, sat on Oliver's lap and kissed him on the cheek

"Before you ripped me off with another batch of uno, I invited you here to tell you something, about the graduation gift…"

"Ollie, you really don't have to buy me anything"

Oliver was a very detail-oriented boyfriend, giving him gifts all the time, often expensive things 

"And I won't, not exactly, more like a gift for me"

"I don't understand you"

"I want you to meet my family"

Barry blinked in confusion for a moment, Oliver lived far from Central, always traveling in summer and Christmas to see his parents, for some reason they couldn't travel, so much so that they weren't even at the graduation

"Really? I thought your parents had a problem coming to see you"

"And they still have them, which is why we're going. I'll take you to my home, I'll pay for the plane tickets, you just have to pack and say yes"

Plane? How far away is it? Barry kept his thoughts to himself and instead said 

"Well, Ollie, yes, I'll go home with you"

Oliver smiled at him and kissed him

"Take enough clothes for a week"

*

At this point, he still didn't know where he was going, but he was excited at the prospect of meeting Oliver's family; he sent one last message to his parents before boarding the plane and promised to call when he was at his destination. His boyfriend showed up with him in the waiting room, carrying two coffees

"I have good news and bad news, the good news is that our flight leaves soon"

"And the bad news?" 

"The flight lasts 16 hours"

Oh my God, where did Oliver live? In China? 

"No, it's not China, Barry," answered Oliver funny, the brunette hadn't noticed that he spoke aloud "on the flight I'll tell you about the place we're going to"

They were quietly drinking their coffee, as soon as they finished it, in due time, there was an announcement _Passengers bound for Greenwood, Arkaria please board your flight_

"It's ours"

"Arkaria?" 

"Come on, we're late."

*

The flight was long and with some stops, but he didn't get bored because he was with Oliver, besides they were in first class. When they finally arrived to Arkaria it was a little bit more than 5:00 PM, Barry looked out the window of the plane and observed a big city, it was a nice place apparently; they got off the plane and as a routine process they were questioned about the reason of their trip to the country, they were formed with the rest of the people

"What's the reason for your visit?" asked the employee reviewing Barry's documents

"Holiday"

"Welcome to Arkaria" he said without emotion, returning the documents

Barry walked to the other side to wait for Oliver, as soon as his boyfriend came to the front of the line, the change was noticeable

"Welcome back, sir" said the clerk nicely as he reviewed the documents

"Thank you very much"

"Enjoy your stay" returned his papers practically bowing

The chestnut looked at the scene in confusion, then shrugged, perhaps it was only like that with the citizens. They continued on their way out, some people waving at Oliver 

"Are you some kind of secret celebrity?"

Oliver laughed

"You could say, everyone knows me. Come on, we're expected." 

They arrived at the parking lot, there was a limousine with flags that had a curious coat of arms: a lion with a crown holding a bow; Barry recognized it, it was in Oliver's passport and in some of his other things. Next to the vehicle stood a man, wearing a suit, looking like a bodyguard

"John, it's been so long since I've seen you" said Oliver.

"It's always good to have you back" answered John.

"Barry, this is my friend and bodyguard, John Diggle."

"Nice to meet you, Mr Diggle."

"You can call me John, or just Dig, as you prefer"

"Okay, Dig. You can call me Barry and if I can treat you informally, you can also" 

"It's nice to finally meet you, Barry, I see why Oliver doesn't shut up about you, you're a very polite and kind boy"

"Thank you, Dig"

John looked at his watch

"We have to go, you know they don't like delays"

"Don't remind me," replied Oliver, "come on "

Dig opened the passenger door and Barry got on, Oliver behind him

"I've never ridden in a limo"

"It's... flashy, I prefer my bike" Oliver said

"Good. So, Ollie, will you tell me about your family?"

"I will, but later on, first we have to get there"

"Okay" answered Barry.

"Not that I don't want to tell you, but we have to get to my house so I can explain"

"I trust you"

"Thank you" Oliver gave him a kiss on the forehead and they stayed quiet the rest of the way

When the car stopped, it took a few seconds for John to open the door for them; Barry watched the huge mansion, people were starting to come out of the door, two boys went straight to the car to get their bags, one of them went to Oliver 

"Where do you want us to take your companion's luggage, Your Highness?"

Your Highness? Does that mean that Oliver...? There had to be something wrong, he didn't realize he was talking out loud

"Bar, I know this may be very strange, but let me explain"

"You are…"

Oliver recognized that tone, Barry was having a little meltdown, nothing to worry about, but he'd need time to get him back to normal

"Leave all the luggage in my room" he said to the boys. "Come with me, Barry, we'll talk in the garden."

His boyfriend didn't say anything, Oliver took him by the hand and led him to the garden, there was a small bench where they sat 

"Barry, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just surprised... you're a prince... Why didn't you tell me?"

"I have to start from the beginning: my name is Oliver Jonas Queen, Prince of Arkaria, next in line to the throne. My parents are Robert and Moira, monarchs of Arkaria. I spent all my life here, being educated to be a king, I could never decide on anything, the only thing I had a choice was where I would go to university, I made my parents promise to let me live in the United States until I finished school, they accepted and I left. Then I met you, from the beginning I felt comfortable with you, I wasn't _Your Highness_ or _Mr. Queen_ just Oliver and I didn't want to lose that, I didn't want you or the others to treat me differently just because of my title, I wanted to continue being your Ollie

"You'll always be my Ollie, until you decide you don't want me anymore"

"There's no chance of that happening" replied Oliver, approaching Barry for a kiss 

"So, you're a prince, can I ask you something?" said Barry excitedly.

"Go ahead"

"Do you have a crown?"

"Only symbolic, I never wear it" 

"Are we in your castle, palace or...?"

"This is just a summer house, but there is the government palace, which is literally a palace, we live there most of the year"

Barry opened his eyes in a gesture of surprise, if that place was huge, he couldn't imagine what the palace was like

"Now a silly question, but I really have to ask it. I know whoever has the title of prince has specific tasks within the monarchical regime and that, but how true is the stereotype in the stories, you know: shining armour and sword, riding a noble steed?"

Oliver had a funny expression, like he didn't know whether to laugh or roll his eyes

"I owe you the armor, but the rest is more or less true. Before I went to university, I spent two years with the army, so I know how to handle swords and various types of weapons, and from the age of ten I learned to ride, so yes, I have a horse, his name is Arion." 

"I feel like there's so much I don't know about you"

"I know and I'm sorry, but that's why I brought you here, because I want you to know everything about me"

Barry did not respond and instead hugged him, after a moment he let go and looked at him worried

"Wait, I just realized, you brought me to meet your parents, who are the monarchs. Oh no! What am I supposed to do?"

"Calm down, you'll be fine, you just have to take a little bow and that's it, plus my mother hasn't cut anyone's head off this month" 

The brunette opened his eyes with horror and fear

"It's a joke, Barry, it's not wonderland" 

"You sounded very convincing"

"My mother is... well, you'll meet her. Are you better now?"

"If you mean recovered from the shock of you being a royal, no, I won't be for a while"

"You're rambling, that means you're fine, let's go inside" 

They got up from the bench and just a few steps forward someone came to say hello

"Ollie!" A girl with brown hair hugged Oliver warmly, she was carrying a bow in one of her hands 

"Speedy, good to see you. You're taller since the last time I came" 

"Don't exaggerate" she let go and looked at the third person with them "I find it very impolite not to introduce me, Oliver" 

"Barry, this is my sister Thea, Thea you know this is Barry, stop pretending we respect protocol in private"

"Nice to meet you, Thea" said Barry timidly, bowing his head.

"It's nice to finally meet you in person, Barry, Ollie has told me a lot about you and I've seen you in pictures; he's also right that when we're alone we don't follow protocol, so bowing is not necessary" she smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you"

"You are welcome. I'll go and take off my training clothes, Mum and Dad will be back soon, so hurry up" he went inside the house

"Hurry up?"

"Yes, dinner starts in a little over an hour, we have to change clothes and give you quick etiquette lessons" 

"What?"

"I'll explain inside, come on."

* * *

It turns out that Oliver was not exaggerating, 80 minutes was nothing to prepare for and make a good impression on the royal family, they had so many protocols and rules that Barry was surprised that his boyfriend could still remember them after living in another country with totally different customs. 

Dinner was about to begin, Barry was wearing the least casual clothes he had ever worn: a pair of formal pants, a grey sweater over a navy blue shirt and his Converse completely black for lack of shoes (I packed for the vacations, not for royalty, don't blame me, Oliver); the blonde one on the other hand looked impeccable in his white shirt, tie and black pants.

They were currently in Oliver's room, it was huge, he had a space the size of his apartment in Central just for the closet: they were going over the order of the cutlery for the last time

"What is the smallest spoon for?"

"Dessert" replied Barry dubiously.

"Correct. Which is your cup, the one on your right or your left?"

"Left" 

"Well, you got it, just remember it and you'll be fine"

Suddenly a woman in a maid's uniform came through the door

"Мой мальчик, я так рад видеть тебя здесь, мы все так по тебе скучаем." (My child, I am so glad you are here, we miss you so much)

The lady was speaking in a language that Barry did not understand, but Oliver apparently did

"Я тоже рад быть здесь, я скучал по всем вам, но особенно по вам" (I'm glad to be here too, I missed all of you, but especially you)

The woman smiled and then looked at Barry and then Oliver again

"Он твой парень? Он очень красивый." (Is he your boyfriend? He is very handsome)

Oliver smiled, the brunette could identify the language as Russian 

"Я знаю. Разве он не бы великим принцем?" (I know. Wouldn't he make a great prince?)

Barry just tilted his head like a confused puppy, it was at times like this that he regretted not having learned another language at school, yet the conversation went on

"Конечно же, они так мило смотрятся вместе." (Of course, You two look so cute together) 

The brown haired man decided it was time to intervene, he didn't understand a word

"Ollie, could you please tell me in this language what is going on?"

"Yes, of course, Barry, this is Raisa, she has been working with us since I was a child"

"Nice to meet you, Barry, 

I was telling Oliver that you are a very handsome boy" 

"Nice to meet you Raisa.Thanks for the compliment" he smiled shyly

"I don't take up any more of your time, their Majesties are waiting in the dining room" 

"Thank you, Raisa, we'll be right down"

Raisa bowed a little and left, Oliver took Barry's hand to leave the room

"Tell me you didn't just have a conversation in Russian"

"I won't tell you if it makes you feel less shocked"

They were walking down the corridor towards the stairs

"I had no idea you could speak Russian"

"When I was a child, Raisa used to sing to me in her native language, then she spoke to me a little in Russian, that's why when I grew up I decided to learn her language to be able to talk privately without anyone understanding, that and that it is useful to know the language given the proximity of this country to Russia" 

"Wow, it's like I'm meeting you again"

They were already downstairs, walking to the dining room

"And you still like me?"

"Are you kidding? Knowing another language makes you twice as attractive, maybe you can teach me a few things"

Oliver smiled

"I can't wait to see your reaction when you hear me speak Chinese" 

Barry almost stopped in the middle of the corridor but Oliver urged him to keep walking

"We'll talk about this later"

After washing their hands they finally arrived at the dining room, there were three people sitting at the table

"Mother, father, we are sorry for the delay"

"Sit down"

Barry obeyed and said nothing, remembering Oliver's words _Don't speak unless she tells you to,_ he honestly preferred to do so because Moira... that is to say Her Majesty, was an intimidating woman: her blonde hair was perfectly combed, she had a serious countenance and her tailor's suit looked surprisingly neat, she looked at them with annoyance; he sat down in the place assigned to him between Oliver and Thea.

They started to bring the meals, serving first the queen, then her husband, following with Oliver and Thea leaving Barry at the end, when he had his meal in front of him he was about to start eating but he heard his boyfriend coughing slightly, then he remembered _Nobody eats until she does,_ he left the fork on the table and waited, a few moments later the queen started to eat 

Everything was silent until the end of the second course, while they served the next one, the queen addressed her guest

"So, Bartholomew, what do you think of Greenwood so far?" 

Barry was nervous, but he felt Oliver leaning his hand gently on his knee under the table, which gave him a little courage to answer

"I have seen very little, but it has been beautiful, it is an impressive country, Your Majesty"

"That can be arranged, I will tell Mr Diggle to accompany you tomorrow so Oliver can show you the city"

"I'll be glad to do it, Mother"

With a nod of agreement, the intervention was over, the next dish arrived, Barry could not be sure what it was, apparently it was Chili, but with other ingredients, more spices and probably ten times hotter than what he had ever eaten in the United States

"Having you as a guest, I sent them to cook one of our typical dishes"

Barry was suffering, every bite was a torture. How did they make a food literally burn the tongue? Being a polite guest and especially in the presence of royalty, he responded

"Thank you, Your Majesty, it's delicious" he made his best attempt at a smile 

They continued to eat in silence, Barry opted to do it slowly, trying to endure the spice, he was the only one still eating Chili when dessert arrived, he finally finished it and received his last dish: a bitter chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream, he had barely taken two bites when they started to collect the dishes, the queen would get up from the table _When my mother stops eating, dinner is over._

"Mother, after taking my guest to his room, I would like to chat in your studio"

"Raisa can escort him back, let's talk now."

"I can go with him, it's no bother" spoke Thea 

"Thank you, Thea" answered the queen.

Everyone got up from the table, Oliver and his parents went out into the hallways while Thea and Barry went to the stairs

* * *

Oliver was in his mother's studio, both monarchs were waiting for him to speak, after a deep breath to swallow his nerves he said:

"I have come to talk you about Bartholomew Allen, I suppose you will remember the nature of my relationship with him."

"Relationship that I assumed you had finished, but I see that I was wrong, although he is not so bad for you to hang out with, he is a… nice guy, I assume that after this trip you will stop seeing him and concentrate on a real relationship"

"In fact, mother, it is quite the opposite, I have not brought Bartholomew here just to show him my country of origin, I have the firm conviction to make him my husband."

"No" said Moira flatly.

"Give me one reason why he is not a candidate to be my husband"

In fact, according to the protocols, there was none but...

"He's a foreigner, not royalty. Would you like me to continue?" 

"Mother, we both know that those are not valid reasons for your refusal, I only came to ask for your authorization by protocol, if it were up to me, I would have asked him to marry me years ago"

His father, Robert, intervened 

"Son, you still have time to reconsider, there are many single people among the nobles of the country, like Countesses Lance or Duke Merlyn, you get along well with them"

"It is a kind suggestion, father, but I have already decided, I will not marry if not with him and if that happens you will be left without heirs to the throne" 

When Oliver was a child, the country was still intolerant of same-sex relationships, so he was really worried about accepting his homosexuality. At first he could only talk about it with Raisa, who gave him her unconditional support. The Oliver of that time drew up a plan: to meet the man of his dreams, to flee from Arkaria and to give up his right to the throne to Thea; the plan fell apart when he learned that according to protocol, he as the first-born had to get married so that his sister could also do it and have the opportunity to be a contender for the throne.

Times changed, people were more and more tolerant and open minded, so by the time Oliver was finishing high school the equal marriage in Arkaria was approved, that made him extremely happy, then he went to the university and met the most wonderful boy, after the first year of the relationship he knew it was him, that Barry was the one, the one with whom he wanted to share his life, he could not imagine occupying the throne as king of Arkaria if Barry was not next to him

"Since you are so hell-bent on it, go ahead and ask him to marry you, but I warn you: if this doesn't work, you'll have to break up with him and marry whoever I choose, or you'll forget your title and your privileges" 

"Right"

"And something else, if he accepts, he will have to take lessons in etiquette, I cannot allow anyone linked to us to make a fool of us because of his lack of manners" 

"I understand perfectly, mother" 

"If you have no other business, your father and I will leave"

Before Oliver's silence his parents left the studio, a few seconds later he came out, he had a big day to prepare.

* * *

Thea and Barry walked down the hall to the room they assigned to the visitor, which was on the other side of the room from Oliver 

"Here it is" said Thea 

"Thank you for walking with me"

"It's been a pleasure" she answered with a friendly smile, looked around and seeing no one nearby spoke again "Can we talk about something in your room?"

"Of course, come in." 

Barry opened the door, the bedroom was not as big as his boyfriend's, but in the same way all the furniture and sheets seemed to be made of very fine materials; he let Thea in first and then came in, she immediately sat down on the chair of the small desk, with such a straight posture and elegance that made her look so _princess_. 

"What do you want to talk about?" 

"Ollie told me that you guys do something a lot, it sounds like fun"

"Could you be more specific? I don't understand" 

"He told me that you play Uno very often, I have never played it and I would like to try it"

"You've never played either?" he asked recalling the first time they played, getting a similar response from Oliver 

"No, it's a ban from my mother, she thinks it's a cruel game that promotes leisure and negative competitiveness, no one in the real family can play it"

Finally Barry understood the depth of those words: _I can't play this game at home, my mother doesn't like_ it. He quickly looked in his suitcase and found the box containing the cards. 

"They're not going to deport me or anything for having this, are they?" 

"No, of course not, the prohibition is only for us, the people of Arkaria can play freely... Could I play with you? Please"

"Will we have no problems?" 

"If no one knows, no"

"I won't say anything. And you?" said Barry smiling sympathetically

"a game wouldn't hurt"

"No" She smiled back at him "I've heard some things, but how do you play?"

"It's easy, each player has 7 cards, in each turn you have to put a card of the same color or number of the one that was thrown before, there are special cards like the +4 that means that the next player must take 4 cards, there is also the reverse card that changes the turns of the players, with this other one you make the player after you lose a turn, the one that has only a circle with colors means that you can decide what color the players are going to throw; when you have only one card left you have to say Uno! Oh and if you don't have the number or color you need in any turn, you must take cards from the deck until what you need appears, I think that's all the rules"

"Well, I understand. Let's play!" 

Barry dealt the cards, Thea was very good at playing, a couple of rounds later she only had three cards while the brown one had more than ten, that's how Oliver found them when he came in

"I see you didn't waste any time"

"Ollie, you were right! It's a lot of fun" said Thea. 

"Ollie, you took a long time but you're still on time. Do you want to join?"

"I was making some calls, preparing details for tomorrow. Finish the game, I'll stay and watch Thea beat you"

Barry looked at Oliver with amusement and they continued their game, a couple of rounds later, Thea effectively beat him

"You are good at this, Thea, the opposite of your brother"

"Thank you very much". She smiled funny and bowed

"To let you know, I let you win"

"Keep believing that, Ollie" 

"I think it's time for me to go, good night" said Thea.

"Good night" answered both of them as the princess left the room 

"How are you?" asked Oliver, referring to his opinion of the dinner

"Scared, no offense but your mother terrifies me"

"I know" he laughed a little "To everyone. She is strict, but she is a fair queen, the most important thing for her is that her people are well"

Barry could see that it was true, there was fear but also much admiration for his mother 

"Talk about the town, tomorrow we will go to know the city, we will leave early, so get some rest, breakfast is served at 9:00, don't be late"

"I'm going to set my alarm" he smiled. "Thank you, Ollie, for letting me get to know you as you are" 

"You have nothing to thank for, thank you for coming all this way and not running away as soon as you knew who I am" 

"I would not" 

They kissed and when they separated they embraced 

"I'll leave you to rest, see you in the morning"

"Can't you stay a little longer?"

"In fact I shouldn't even be here, to avoid misunderstandings, the courting protocol forbids me"

"The what?"

"As long as a member of the royal family is not married, he should avoid intimate contacts" quoted Oliver "or in simple words, if we are not married, we cannot…"

Barry opened his eyes in a gesture of surprise and a bit of shame

"Oh my God, if I had known, I wouldn't have…"

"Barry, don't worry, we weren't here when it happened" he shrugged. "Go to sleep, we have a big day tomorrow."

"Good night, Ollie" he kissed him good night and his boyfriend left the room; before going to bed he took his phone to set the alarm, with so many things he had forgotten to call his parents, so it didn't take long to send a message quickly, he didn't want to give any details, after all how can you tell your parents in a few words that your boyfriend turned out to be a prince? After that he went to sleep

* * *

Barry went down to the dining room accompanied by Raisa, this time the monarchs were not present, only Thea and Oliver, sat next to him, happy to see familiar foods: coffee, eggs, bacon, hotcakes with fruit, sandwiches and fries, a whole American breakfast 

"Good morning" greeted 

"Good morning, Barry" replied Thea. 

Oliver chose to respond to the greeting with a kiss, smiling at the thought that his life could always be like this 

"I took advantage of my parents' early departure and ordered to prepare a special breakfast for you" 

"Thank you, Ollie, it looks delicious" 

"I noticed you couldn't finish your dinner yesterday, I figured you'd be hungry"

"It's hard to keep up with the queen"

"You'll get used to it" said Thea. 

"I hope so" 

"Eat, we have a lot to do today" 

"As you order, Your Highness"

Oliver just laughed; Barry took a sip of coffee, it was the best he had ever tasted 

"This coffee is very good" 

"It's Turkish" answered Thea "last year I went to visit Turkey and I couldn't stop after tasting it, so I researched how they did it and brought some with me to show the family, then Mom ordered to import the variety of coffee that is prepared" 

"Turkey... wait Can you speak Turkish?"

"Of course" answered Thea. 

"My sister is fascinated by the cultures of the East, and in addition to Turkish she can speak Arabic" 

"Wow, you are very good at languages" 

"It's a requirement, we must know two or more languages" responded Oliver 

'Royalty stuff, you know" said Thea. 

After that they continued having breakfast, when they finished they went out to the main door, Diggle was there with a car, they were still waiting for something, suddenly one of the employees arrived with a motorcycle 

"We'll go by motorcycle and Dig will follow in the car" said Oliver. 

"Okay." He was already used to traveling like this with Oliver, it was common when they were in college; he settled down behind him and held 

"Ready?"

"Ready to know Greenwood with the best tourist guide of Arkaria" 

"Then let's go" 

That said, they left, their first stop was the center of the city; Greenwood as the capital of Arkaria was the place where commerce was centered, there were stores and restaurants everywhere you looked, then they stopped in front of a church 

"It is the cathedral, as you can see it has a gothic style" explained Oliver "one of the reasons why Arkaria receives its name is because of its architecture, in many constructions you will find arcs, like here" 

Barry listened in amazement, he loved to learn new things, even more when Oliver told them; they continued the road on the motorcycle, every time they passed by a point of interest Oliver told him an anecdote or a fact, this time they stopped in front of a statue that showed a man pointing with an bow. 

"This monument represents all the archers fallen in battle; archery is very important for our country, it is the national sport, we are also the main manufacturers of bows and arrows"

It made a lot of sense, since Arkaria means _Country of the Bows_

"Archers fallen in battle? Are they going to war with bows?" asked a surprised Barry. 

"Arkaria had some conflicts in the past, even though we did not participate in any of the world wars, our army is one of the best trained in the world, the special division of archers still exists. In fact if there was a war today, my father would go to fight as an army general and I would have to go too, we are given the necessary preparation for this, that's why all men in the country must do compulsory military service, recently we opened the doors to women who want to do it voluntarily, Thea already did." 

"I hope there will never be a war" said Barry, concerned 

"Everyone is waiting for it. Come on, we have another place to visit before our last stop"

They got on the bike again, went back to the part where there were stores, Diggle parked in front of one of them 

"I can't go shopping by myself, Dig has to go with me"

"Real protocol?" 

"Yes. We have to hurry, with all the time you take to choose clothes, we will hardly arrive on time" 

"Did you bring me shopping?" 

"Yes, all you brought is casual clothing, you'll need it for the rest of the week" 

"But…"

"The prince's orders" he said jokingly. 

"If you ordered it" he responded by pouting and entered the store 

Once inside, Barry looked at the suits, they looked very expensive, found some things in his size and told Oliver they could go but he said 

"We can't leave, you have to try everything on, I have to make sure it fits" 

"Won't we be late?"

Oliver consulted his watch 

"We still have time" 

Barry went into one of the changing rooms and after a couple of minutes came out with the first suit on, it was gray 

"How about this one, Ollie?"

"It fits you perfectly" he smiled, "go try on the rest."

Barry nodded, realized that Dig was nowhere to be found, maybe he was waiting for them outside; he put on another suit, blue this time, after going out and getting another positive response, tried on other pants, shirts, shoes and ties, he was looking at himself in the mirror and Oliver was next to him 

"I'm starting to think there's nothing that doesn't look good on you" 

Barry blushed; Dig must have arrived at some point as he was sitting on one of the store's couches 

"I think we already have everything you need, let's go"

"I'll go put my clothes back on"

"No, keep what you're wearing, I like it"

He was wearing black pants, a white shirt with a red tie and a dark gray sweater

"It's okay" 

After paying (Oliver didn't even let him see the bill) they put the shopping bags in the car and drove on to the next place, this time taking a little longer. They were on the outskirts of town, in the middle of a huge garden, Barry was very grateful that there was finally food, Oliver had a picnic prepared, as they often did when they were in school 

"What did you think of Greenwood?" 

"You sounded just like your mother and that's scary, but I really had a good time today, you're a good tour guide, I'm learning a lot about Arkaria. Speaking of which, isn't there some protocol that prevents you from eating a sandwich without silverware?"

"You will say it as a joke, but it does exist; but here there is only us, I know that there is no problem, I am used to acting normal when I am with you" 

"Acting normally?"

"As if I was just another guy, a guy who doesn't have the weight of a title and a country on his shoulders, since I met you I've felt more like that." 

Barry looked at him, as if he didn't know how to feel about it

"That's very good, I'll tell you something: in order to go to college in Central I did interviews like everyone else, the first times I went to the United States some people looked at me weird, because I spoke very formally, walked straight, dressed well and ate hamburgers with silverware. I had to leave my royal side to be able to fit in, but then I met you, having that coffee with you, for the first time since I was in a foreign country, I felt at home"

"Ollie, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me" 

"And I'm still not finished, have I told you what I like best about you?" Barry shook his head. "Remember that time when we were just a few months dating and you took me to a collection?" 

"Yes, I remember, the university organized a fundraiser to help a dog shelter."

"I also remember that collection and the others: I remind you three sleepless nights watching a thousand internet tutorials to bake a cake, going on stage to sing even though you were in stage fright, washing cars even with a terrible cold; all that just because your will to help others was greater than anything else. At first what I liked about you was what you saw at first glance, your smile, your eyes, all of you in general, but when I got to know you I realized that Barry Allen's beauty is not only exterior, it is his kindness, understanding, honesty and intelligence, which make him the wonderful human being he is; the same qualities I always wanted for my prince"

"Ollie, are you...?" 

Any doubt was resolved when he saw him kneeling 

"Bartholomew Henry Allen. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my husband?" he took out of his coat pocket a small box, inside was a ring with an emerald 

'Yes, I accept!"

Oliver put the ring on him, Barry didn't wait any longer and hugged him, almost throwing him to the ground 

"I love you, Ollie" 

"I love you, Barry" he kissed him quickly "we have to finish eating" 

"I would never say no to that"

About twenty minutes later, the food in the picnic basket was finished, they put away the blanket and walked to the other end of the garden, there was a house, not as big as the one they were staying in but equally luxurious 

"Another summer house?" 

"Yes, but I have good news for you, we will be alone here" 

"Are we going to spend the night here?" 

"Yes, Dig will come to pick us up in the morning" 

"Well, not that I'm complaining, but why are we staying here?"

"Because you and I, Mr. Allen, are going to break courting protocol, as many times as possible" 

"If they're going to cut my head off for this, I'm going to take advantage of it, let's go inside" 

"I thought you'd never say it" 

* * *

The next morning, they returned to _Emerald Manor_ , as Oliver told him it was called the summer house where they were staying; after their romantic evening it was all smiles and happiness, so much so that Barry almost forgot a great detail, they entered the dining room and found the rest of the royal family about to have breakfast

"Good morning" greeted the queen.

"Mother"

"Good morning, Your Majesty" there was the detail, his fiancé's mother

"Judging by your countenance should I assume that Bartholomew accepted your proposal?"

"That's right, Mother, this wonderful man has agreed to be my husband"

Thea smiled broadly, she could not make a more effusive celebration in public

"Congratulations, I wish you all the happiness in your marriage"

"Thank you, Your Highness" answered Barry, smiling. 

"Congratulations, son, and welcome to the noble Queen family, Bartholomew" said Robert 

Before the couple responded, the queen intervened quickly

We have to start the preparations for the wedding today, I will call our trusted reporters for an interview announcing the engagement; for now sit down, they are about to serve breakfast"

They both nodded and went to sit down

* * *

Barry was nervous despite remembering what Oliver had taught him about interviews, he looked at himself in the mirror for the last time, the door to his room opened

"Are you ready?"

"I hope so, Ollie"

"You'll do well, just be yourself"

"Myself…"

"Just smile and everyone in Arkaria will love you as much as I do" 

Barry kissed Oliver

"Let's go to the room, the equipment is almost ready"

They went down to the room, a team of cameramen placed lights and cameras, while a woman waited sitting in front of the chair 

"Your Highness, it is always a pleasure to see you"

"The very same, Margaret. Let me introduce you to my fiancé, he is Bartholomew Allen" 

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Allen" answered Margaret politely.

"Same" said the brunette

Oliver and Barry sat down in the armchair

"It will be brief, only about 20 minutes, they will ask us how we met and things like that" explained Oliver 

"I can handle 20 minutes, or so I hope"

"You'll do great"

They heard someone on the team countdown _Recording in 5, 4, 3, 2_

* * *

In a matter of hours the news was everywhere, internet, television and soon in all the printed media, not to mention the official social networks of the royal house, the headline was the same: Prince Oliver of Arkaria is engaged to be married to Mr. Bartholomew Allen. 

Barry felt very strange, his face was in all the channels, when he saw himself in the screen smiling next to Oliver, it seemed so surreal to him, not even in his craziest dreams would he have imagined to date a prince, but there he was, finally he began to realize how that _yes_ , he was going to change his life completely. He continue to see the news on the Internet _Learn more about the young American who stole the heart of the prince; Like a fairy tale_ some pages even had photos of the interview, there was one where they were kissing, the light or the angle gave a special touch, Barry smiled and saved the image on his phone.

Suddenly his fiancé entered the room

"Catching up on the news?"

"Yes, Arkaria has good journalists. How do they know so much about me?"

"Before you came, they only knew I had a boyfriend in the United States, but when they found out who you are, they investigated everything they could"

"How come I never heard from you? It's not like Arkaria is isolated from the world"

"That's my fault" he admitted a bit embarrassed "I asked the cyber-intelligence officer to hide all the information about me"

"Can you do that? Can she do that?"

"Yes, not to brag, but if there was a cyber war she would definitely win"

"Great!...I mean, let's keep the peace. Did you see this?" showed him the picture

"You look good"

"Both of us look good"

Oliver smiled

"Will you send it to my phone later?" 

"Of course. Ollie, I want to ask you something"

"Tell me"

"I think maybe I should have asked you about this before but, I couldn't help but notice that all the staff who did the interview reacted strangely when we kissed"

"I see your point and no, it wasn't because of that, people are very respectful of the sexual orientation of others; in fact a few years ago I gave an interview myself, after saying that I'm gay many people felt confident to do the same. If they looked at us in a weird way it's because the Royal protocol would only allow us to appear publicly holding hands, a kiss is…"

"We broke the protocol. Your mother is going to kill me!" interrupted Barry. 

"No, I don't think so" he laughed a little "we'll have dinner in half an hour, I'll see you in the dining room"

* * *

The next morning, after breakfast, Oliver asked Barry to meet him in the room where they recorded the interview

"What are we doing here?"

"Now that you have agreed to marry me, you will have to share some of my royal duties, so I must teach you everything about being a prince".

"Are you going to sing a song?" he asked excitedly.

"No, there won't be any songs" he answered with a laugh "the first lesson will be the posture" he looked at his fiancé carefull "it's not bad, but it can get better, lift your head a little and look ahead".

Barry did what Oliver told him to do

"Now walk a little, remember never to look at the floor, always look ahead and don't slouch" 

He walked from his place near the door to the end of the room where Oliver was, they repeated the exercise for a while 

"You are doing well, if we practice every day, soon your posture will be perfect, come, sit" 

Barry went to the couch

"Wait, after years of seeing you, I know what you will do, so I can correct you in time, don't just drop, you must sit gracefully, without losing your upright posture"

The brown haired man sat down slowly, trying to stand up straight, he looked like a robot because of his stiff movements

"Is this okay?" 

"Almost, don't worry, you'll make it"

"How can you do all this? There are so many things to remember"

"Since I was a child I learned to be a prince, I have known these things all my life, but I know that you are very intelligent, you learn quickly, you will be able to master the protocols before you know it"

"I hope you're right" changed the theme "What about the wedding preparations?"

"Since we announced the engagement, the staff started working"

"Staff?"

'There are people who work exclusively on planning the wedding, right now they are choosing the date, it must be a day when there is no national celebration in Arkaria as well as in your country or some world event"

"Sounds complicated"

"For them, we just decide what we want, I'm sure you'll like the cake tasting"

"You know me well, I'll be waiting" he smiled.

"In these months, besides teaching you what I know about the protocols, I would like you to learn another language. Is there one in particular that you like?"

  
  


He thought for a moment

"I think I would do well with Italian or German" 

"I will get the best teachers to teach you, in the meantime, there is something I want to show you"

"What is it?" asked Barry, curious.

"It's a surprise, it's my engagement gift"

* * *

They went by car to the government palace, it was definitely huge, the building that served as residence was giant, besides there was land as far as the eye could see 

"Where are we going?" asked Barry after walking around for a while

"We're almost there, you'll see"

A few meters ahead, they entered the stables, stopped in front of a black horse

"Barry, this is Arion" the horse immediately lowered his head to receive the mimes from his owner

"He's very nice. Can I touch him?" 

"Yes"

Barry reached hesitantly, barely reaching the horse's head 

"Don't be afraid of him, that's the first rule, do it with confidence and don't slap him, they don't like that"

With more security this time, he passed his hand over Arion's forehead

"He likes you" said Oliver smiling "we have another visit to make" 

They walked another bit and saw another horse, this one was brown

"This is Apollo, it's Thea's"

A few places ahead there was a white mare

"She doesn't have a name yet, but I hope you can help me with that, she's yours, Barry" 

Barry was surprised, Oliver had just given him a horse, he would have never imagined it

"Ollie, she's beautiful, thank you"

"What are you going to call her?"

"Epona" 

"It's a great name. Now it's time for Epona to go for a walk"

"You're not expecting me to ride her, are you?"

"Why else would I give you a horse? Come on, I'll teach you"

Oliver opened the locks to let Epona and Arion out, both walked obediently out, stopping in front of the fence, Barry waited for his fiancé to tell him what to do

"Before riding, you have to brush them a little" said Oliver, lifting the brush he had in his hand, and began to pass it over the back of his horse. "Try" 

Barry took a brush and ran it through Epona's white fur, until Oliver told him it was enough

"What follows is to saddle them, this time I will do it, but watch how I do it"

The brunette nodded, Oliver saddled Arion first and put the reins in, then did the same with Epona 

"Now it's time to ride"

"I don't think I'm ready"

"You will be after I explain the basics and you put on your protective gear" he pointed to a helmet and boots. 

After that, Barry was still nervous

"Don't be afraid, she will feel it, horses prefer quiet riders" 

"Okay, just give me a second" He took a deep breath to calm down.

"Well, now" Oliver pushed a wooden block from the left side next to Epona "stand here"

Barry went up the block 

"See this" he pointed to the stirrup "put your left foot there, then take the reins and push up to move your right leg to the other side". 

"What?" asked Barry confusedly, it was a lot of instructions at once. 

"I'll show you" in less than a minute, Oliver did everything he had explained to him and he climbed onto Arion's back with grace and dexterity "do you think you can do it now?"

"I'll try". 

"I'm here if you need help"

Barry did his best to imitate Oliver, put his left foot in the stirrup and took a little jump to put his right foot in the stirrup on that side, probably didn't look as elegant as His Highness, but he was finally on the horse.

"How do they do this? Seems so easy in Brokeback Mountain! 

"Years of practice, it gets better over time. Remember our lesson from earlier?"

"Posture?"

"Yes, try to keep your back straight" once he's done that, he's given the next indication "the reins are what you use to steer the horse, use them to move forward"

After doing what Oliver taught him, Epona started to walk slowly forward 

"You're doing well for the first time. He was already galloping along with him with Arion" 

They spent some time riding their horses, when it started to get dark, they decided to return

"So, Ollie, how do I get down from here?"

"The same way you went up, first take your right foot out of the stirrup and come down the left side, like this" got off his horse to show him 

"Okay, here I go"

He did more or less the same thing as Oliver and landed gracelessly on the ground

"You got it and it seems you're complete" said Oliver half mockingly as he laid his hands on Barry _, performing an inspection_.

"Very funny, Ollie" 

"Let's leave the horses"

They returned to the stables, they were no longer alone, a tall boy, who by the way was not wearing a shirt (not that Barry was watching) was brushing Apollo 

"Roy" called Oliver 

"Your Highness, Mr. Allen" said the boy turning to see the blond man and his companion.

"Roy, I've already told you that you can call me Oliver" 

"And you can call me Barry" 

"It's okay" He focused his attention on the two horses outside "does the mare have a name yet?"

"Her name is Epona" answered the brunette.

"I will take good care of her, Barry," answered Roy kindly "I will take Epona and Arion to rest."

"I'll tell Thea to come and see the good work you've done with Apollo" said Oliver.

"Thank you" responded Roy, looking very excited about the possibility of seeing the princess.

"Come on, Barry, let's leave the equipment with Roy" 

Barry took off his helmet and boots, after giving them to Roy they said goodbye to the boy and left, Oliver called Diggle to go pick them up, they talked as he arrived

"Has Roy been working here long? You seem to know him well"

"More or less. Roy was raised by his grandparents, his grandfather, Richard worked here taking care of the horses and he used to come and help him, I have known him since he was a child; a few years ago Richard passed away, we thought of looking for someone else to take his place, but Roy showed that he is totally capable of doing it himself, besides Thea would not have forgiven us" 

"Thea?"

"She and Roy are the same age, they practically grew up together, doing mischief around the palace, riding horses; with the years that brotherly love turned into romantic love, they have been in a _relationship_ since Roy took over his grandfather's position" 

"Does your mother know...?"

"No, Thea is too afraid of how she might react if she tells her, that's why she's so anxious about our wedding and my coronation, if I'm the king, she knows I won't object if she asks me to marry him"

"Are you two really that afraid of your mother?"

"Not my mother, the queen; if we were different, a family like any other, we could do whatever we wanted, but it is not like that, we are the royal family, the people look at us and judge us, we have to abide by the rules while my mother is on the throne." 

"What do you want to change when you are king?"

"To begin with, I'm going to disappear half the protocols"

"I know, it's hard having to eat pizza with silverware"

Oliver laughed a little

"To have to marry someone you don't love would be more so, I want to protect Thea and the next generations from that" 

Barry got serious, Diggle arrived at that moment

If you hurry, we can sneak into the kitchen to eat cake before dinner" said Oliver.

"Full speed ahead, Dig, let's go" answered Barry as he got into the car.

* * *

The weeks passed, soon became two months; Barry was a little tired, every day was one of constant learning, etiquette lessons with Oliver, his Italian and German lessons, occasional riding lessons as well as clandestine Uno games with Thea (don't tell the queen). One morning during the posture lessons, Oliver made an announcement, Barry walked across the room with a book on his head

"Is this necessary, Ollie?" asked the brown haired man, trying to avoid that the book from fall on the floor

"Review your posture, of course, but do you want to know a secret? the book is useless"

Barry stopped abruptly and took the book out of his head

"Then why do I do it?" he asked, a little annoyed.

"Because it's fun to see you" 

His fiancé stared at him and stood in front of him

"You are very cruel, Mr. Queen, but I expect at least some compensation"

"Oh yeah? And what do you have in mind?"

Barry didn't answer, but put the book on Oliver's head and sat down on the couch

"You're going to walk with that and I'm going to sit and watch you"

"As you like" replied Oliver with a laugh.

To Barry's surprise, he could walk as perfectly as if he had no extra weight on him

"Well, well, I understand, real grace and all that. What was it you were going to tell me before you put an encyclopedia in my head?"

"What an exaggeration. There will be an event next week, it will be practically like your presentation to high society" 

"A party just for me?"

"In fact, it is the anniversary of Arkaria's independence, but my mother wants to take advantage of it so that the important people of the country know you and she asked me to ask you if you would like to sing the national anthem that night"

In addition to all the lessons he already had, he was going to start studying the history of Arkaria, he would have been given art lessons too but Oliver mentioned to his mother that he could sing, so the queen wanted to find out for herself

"Tell her I will" he wouldn't be so stupid as to say no to the queen

"All right, you can start rehearsing today"

Barry nodded, what had he just gotten himself into?

* * *

People in Arkaria were usually serious, they didn't smile much or make a big fuss about anything, but when it came to the celebration of independence, they took it seriously: families cooked typical dishes, fireworks shows were held all over the country and people were waiting eagerly for the queen's speech. Barry rehearsed every day of the week, it was the day when all eyes would be on him, he wasn't scared or anything; he arrived at the event together with Oliver, a little nervous, he had no idea what he would talk about with those strangers.

"Just say hello and go along with it if someone starts a conversation, they're normal people, Barry, they just have a title like me"

"Well... I can do it"

The first to appear was a black-haired man with his son 

"Good evening, Your Highness; Mr. Allen, it is a pleasure to finally meet you, Malcolm Merlyn, at your service" seemed not to say it honestly

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Merlyn"

"The pleasure is mine, if you excuse me we will see each other later" looked at his son and left

The other man rolled his eyes

"Always the same" said Oliver.

"You know the old man, I don't know why I'm surprised. I apologize for my father" he said the last sentence to Barry 

"No problem, Mr. Merlyn"

"No formalities, any friends of Ollie or his fiancé are friends of mine, just Tommy"

"Well, Tommy" 

Barry could understand what Thea was referring to, she told him that if no one from the Queen family occupied the throne, it would pass to the Merlyns; Tommy was a good boy, with ideas similar to Oliver's but instead Malcolm was a conservative, totally willing to return Arkaria to absolutism, no one, not even Tommy, wanted his father in power. 

"So, Barry, I can tell you Barry, right?"

"Of course".

"Have you been at Miami? The science museum is amazing"

"I've only been there once, a long time ago, but I was able to see the museum, I had a lot of fun that day"

They kept talking for a while until Tommy had to leave, Oliver and Barry greeted more important people: businessmen and members of Parliament; by now everything was going well

"I have to go for a moment, will you be all right?" said the blonde

"I think I can handle a few conversations"

"I'll be right back"

Barry was left alone, drinking from his champagne glass or whatever it was they were giving him to drink, when a blonde woman in a white dress approached him, after Thea's quick classes he didn't have to hear her name to know who she was 

"Good evening, Mr. Allen, we haven't been introduced yet, my name is Sara Lance" 

"Very pleased, Miss Lance, it's a pleasure to meet you, I've heard a lot about you and your sister"

Countesses Lance was very well known and loved in Arkaria due to their charity works, especially with the mining sector, because of this the queen gave them both the order of the canary 

"I hope only good things" she smiled "How has your stay at Greenwood been?"

"Of course they are. I am delighted with this country, its people and customs are wonderful"

They continued talking for a while, Sara was really nice, Barry was sure that it was not only for her status, probably in other circumstances they could get along just as well; suddenly the conversation turned to their language lessons and he found in Sara the ideal person to practice

"Ich hatte noch nie ein Haustier, aber jetzt habe ich eine Stute, sie heißt Epona" (I have never had a pet, but now I have a mare called Epona)

Barry's accent was not yet that good, nor was he very fluent, but it was enough for Sara to understand and respond to him 

"Ich habe auch ein Pferd, sein Name ist Robin, nach Robin Hood, manchmal spiele ich Polo". (I also have a horse, his name is Robin, after Robin Hood, sometimes I play Polo)

Barry had understood all of the previous, but this was a little difficult, he only understood that the horse is called Robin, he was about to ask Sara to repeat what he had just said but someone joined the conversation

"Guten Abend, Herr Allen, ich hoffe, Sie genießen das Treffen" (Good evening, Mr. Allen, I hope you are enjoying the meeting) said another blonde woman in an impeccable German

"Guten Abend, Miss Lance, es war ein schöner Abend" (Good evening, Miss Lance, it was a lovely evening)

"I see that you have been well informed, Laurel Lance, very pleased" offered him her hand 

Barry shook the woman's hand, something in his tone reminded him of Malcolm Merlyn, that was not good

"The pleasure is mine"

"I was talking to Bartholomew about our Polo games" said Sara to continue the conversation.

"Yes, we play some games on the weekends, I hope that next time His Highness and you will honor us with your presence" 

"Maybe later on, I'm still learning to ride" answered Barry, Laurel smiled at him, too condescending for his taste

"Of course, we will be happy to have you on our team at any time. Do you practice any other sports? My sister and I train archery, fencing and swimming"

"Unfortunately I don't practice any of them" he answered a little embarrassed.

Sara must have noticed, as she intervened quickly

"It's been very nice to have this talk, but I think we're needed elsewhere," she looked sternly at her sister "see you later, Mr. Allen"

Sara began to walk away, but returned when she saw that Laurel was not leaving 

"I'll just say a proper goodbye to our friend and come back to you"

As soon as they were alone, Laurel's _friendly_ smile changed completely 

"I don't know what Oliver saw in you, you're so _ordinary_ , a simple commoner who doesn't have a shred of class"

Barry wondered why so much hostility, but then he remembered what he read in one of the magazines when he was reviewing the articles about his engagement: Laurel was the queen's first choice to marry Oliver, but now, obviously that would not happen 

"I may be everything you say, but Oliver chose me, I will be the one who marries him and you will have to live with that"

"Don't be so sure, I've seen you, you won't be able to handle the pressure of being part of the royalty, do us all a favor and quit before you make a fool of yourself"

Before Barry answered, Oliver appeared

"Good evening, Your Highness" smiled Laurel and bowed

"Good evening, Countess Lance" 

Laurel left, Barry looked at her in discomfort, trying to forget what she said

"Are you okay?" asked Oliver. 

"Yes, all right"

"It's almost your turn, after you, my mother will give her speech"

Barry nodded and followed Oliver, the cameras that would make the TV broadcast were already in place, he stood in front of the microphone. A voice announced that he would sing the national anthem and started the music, suddenly he heard again Laurel in his mind, she was right, he was not made for this, he was not a prince like Oliver, he should not be here; the words he was singing were starting to be less clear, was it archers or warriors? glory or victory? he had no idea what he was doing, he continued on automatic pilot until he finished singing, there was nothing but silence, then the queen started her speech.

He had to endure the rest of the event with a fake smile, all he wanted to do was leave but couldn't; during dinner he mistook the silverware five times, Laurel looked at him from her place with a pleased smile and Oliver looked worried. Finally they were able to leave, no one spoke on the way but he had heard the queen tell Oliver quietly the words _press conference and crisis management_. 

Oliver followed Barry to his room

"Are you all right? What happened there?"

"Why me, Oliver?" 

"I don't understand your question."

"Why do you want to marry me?"

"Are you really asking that?" he laughed a little but got serious again when he saw Barry

"Why do you want to be with me when there are people better than me? Who know three languages, practice five sports and belong to a noble family; like the Lances" 

"Because I love you" he answered without hesitation.

"I know, but I, I don't know if I can do this, she's right"

"Who? What are you talking about?"

"Laurel. She told me something that is very true, I am a commoner, I cannot be a prince overnight no matter how hard you try" 

"Forget about Laurel, she probably told you because…"

"I know about your mother, I know she wanted you to marry her"

"But I won't, I love you, I won't marry anyone else"

"You should reconsider" he replied with tears in his eyes.

"Barry... Are you breaking off the engagement?" 

"I don't know, Oliver. I don't know! Could you leave me alone?"

"We need to talk, we can fix this, please" Now Oliver was about to cry too

"I don't want to talk today, please…"

"It's okay"

Oliver went out, he did it just in time, Barry couldn't stand it anymore, he started crying, hundreds of thoughts invaded his mind, the most frequent one was a call to the fairy tales: _They lived happily ever_ _after_ doesn't exist, it's not as easy as marrying the prince and living in the castle, it's a big lie.

Barry kept crying, suddenly he heard the door open

"I told you I didn't want to talk"

But it wasn't Oliver 

"Raisa, I'm sorry" he wiped his face with his coat sleeve

"Don't worry, Barry. May I?" She asked, pointing to the bed to sit next to him.

The brunette nodded, in the time he had been living there, he had become close to Raisa

"I shouldn't tell you this, but I just came from Oliver's room and he's in a similar state as you are. What happened? I don't like to see my children suffer"

"Maybe you've heard, but I made a serious mistake today and realized that I don't belong here" he looked around

"Wrong is human" 

"But people like Oliver and the whole royal family seem not to be allowed, I honestly don't know if I will be able to live like this, I didn't think about all this when I agreed to marry Oliver"

"He's going to be mad at me for telling you but you have to listen to it. Do you know what he had to do to propose to you?" She saw Barry's denial with his head. "He promised the queen that if you said no or broke off the engagement he would marry whomever she wanted. Oliver was against it for years but he risked it for you, because he believes in you."

"I didn't know"

"I'll tell you something else, when you two were still in school, he once told me that he wanted to run away with you, to give up everything, he told me again a while ago, that he would leave his title and his wealth if it would make you happy"

"I would never ask that of him" 

"Does he know? Sometimes we take things for granted, but in matters of love, it is better to make it clear. Oliver loves you enough to leave, but do you love him enough to stay?"

"I love him, Raisa, of course I love Oliver, but I don't know what to do" 

Against his will, Barry cried again

"Don't worry anymore, rest, sleep a little and tomorrow you will know what to do" 

Barry nodded, just took off his jacket and got under the blankets, Raisa was still there, she started singing in Russian 

"Спи, младенец мой прекрасный, Баюшки-баю. (Sleep, my little boy, my little).

Тихо смотрит месяц ясный; В колыбель твою. (The silent moon is looking into your crib).

Стану сказывать я сказки, Песенку спою; (I will tell you fairy tales And sing you little songs.)

Ты ж дремли, закрывши глазки, Баюшки-баю. (But you must sleep, close your little eyes)"

Although he did not understand a word, Raisa's voice made him feel calm, he soon fell asleep

* * *

The next morning was a turbulent one, the queen gave a press conference early in the morning, it seems that public opinion was not too fierce with Barry, he was still in the grace of the people. Immediately after breakfast, Oliver went to the room where he gave Barry his classes, for a moment he was afraid that he would not show up, but he was also terrified of what would happen when he did, he waited a few minutes until the brunette came through the door 

"Hey, Ollie"

"Bear"

"Would it be possible to go riding or something like that? I would like us to be alone and away from everything"

"Yes, I'll tell Dig to take us"

An hour later they were already walking on the grounds of the palace of government, Oliver tried to hide his nerves as much as possible

"After what happened yesterday, I was thinking" said Barry "I made a very big mistake yesterday, two rather: the first was to let Laurel get into my head and the second was to change the lyrics of your country's national anthem, I'm sorry about that. But what is true is that all this time I had just been following your lead, I had never stopped to think what it would really mean to be Prince Oliver's husband and once I realized that, I was overwhelmed, scared."

"I know it might be too much, but... I was also thinking, I just want you to feel comfortable, if you want to, just say a word and we can go"

"It's not about that, Oliver, you have a duty to your family and more importantly to your country, you've worked hard for it, I don't want you to give it up for me. I am very sorry that I am not the perfect and educated prince that your mother and the people expect…"

"I don't care" Oliver interrupted "because I never wanted a prince, I want Barry Allen: the distracted guy who let fall his books, who jumps like a boy when he's happy, who eats chicken wings without caring if he gets a stain on his face, I love you, Barry, just the way you are."

"I love you too, Ollie" he must have been crazy to say the following sentence "that's why I'm going to give this royal thing another shot"

Oliver was visibly encouraged by his response, Barry had to intervene

"It will be on my terms, I will do my best but don't expect me to be Queen Victoria, I didn't grow up in a palace and I'm still getting used to all this"

"We'll do it your way, I promise I'll be patient and I won't ask you to be someone you're not" he paused.

"That means you still want to marry me, right?"

"Yes, that's all I want" he smiled "I imagined that our life would be different and I'm not going to lie to you, yesterday for a moment I thought about accepting your word and leaving but it wouldn't be fair, being a prince is part of you and I love you, I love the Oliver that I met in college and the one who is willing to marry an arrogant countess just for me"

"Raisa told you" 

"Don't be angry with her, she was worried about you. But what I've been trying to tell you is that I know this won't be easy, there will be days like yesterday when I want to leave everything and go away but I'm not going to do it, you know why? because you will be by my side supporting me as you have always done, I will do everything I can so you don't lose the faith you have in me, even if I don't believe in myself"

"You never disappoint me, Barry; every _defect_ you think you have is what makes me love you so much"

Barry said nothing to him, it was not necessary, he kissed and hugged him. If Roy found them an hour later coming out of the barn in a suspicious attitude, no one had to know.

* * *

The day was sunny, it was three months before the wedding and Barry was still taking lessons, soon he would have a kind of exam about the history of Arkaria so he was sitting on the grass reading, suddenly an arrow passed flying next to him

"Ollie! You almost killed me!" 

"I'm sorry, but don't worry, I'm a good shot" he pointed to the target behind him, the arrow hitting it right in the middle.

Oliver took another arrow and pointed again, Barry closed his book, stood up and looked at him carefully

"Seems like fun, I want to try it"

"Really? Do you want me to teach you?"

"Yes!" With a gesture he asked Oliver for his bow 

"Then, first things first. I will teach you just as my teacher Yao Fei taught me, for now you will not use the bow, you need to gain strength in your arms, then determine your dominant arm"

"Okay, I'll keep watching for today."

He sat down again and saw the apple he had brought for lunch "hey Ollie can you really shoot anything?"

Oliver turned to look, when he noticed the fruit on Barry's head he knew what was coming

"We are not going to play William Tell!"

"Ollie!"

"Even if you make those eyes at me, I won't shoot an arrow at you!"

"But it's not me, it's the apple"

"I told you no, now start studying before I come up with exercise routines"

"Okay" responded Barry, pouting as Oliver smiled fondly at him.

* * *

The countdown to the big royal wedding was exactly two months, the week before Oliver and Barry had been going crazy with the guest list and the banquet testing, today was evaluation day for the brunette, he was in the room where he received his lessons, answering some review questions prior to his test to obtain the citizenship of Arkaria

"What is Arkaria's main economic activity?"

"Mining, especially metallurgy since aluminum and graphite are used in the manufacture of arrows. Secondly, emeralds are extracted, used mainly in jewelry, being the emeralds of this country the most valued after the Colombian and Russian ones." 

"Geographic location of Arkaria?"

"Europe, it borders on the south with Ukraine, on the north with Russia and on the west with Belarus"

"Not bad, Bartholomew"

"Thank you, Your Majesty"

"For the next time, I hope you have learned the data in coordinates"

"I will"

After the incident at the independence party, the queen herself had taken over some of Barry's lessons, 

was not as terrible as he expected

"I admire your perseverance a lot, now I understand why Oliver chose you, you are kind and empathetic, the people appreciate those qualities a lot, I know what will be good with you" she dedicated the closest thing to a smile to him "you can go now, it is time for your archery lessons"

"Yes, Your Majesty"

* * *

The media became a constant in Barry's life since his engagement was announced, it was less and less shocking to read news about himself or about Oliver. The most recent was a short interview they did after the opening of an exhibition in a museum during which they appeared a little more affectionate than protocol would dictate, when Oliver was answering the questions, the subject came up in the traditions and protocols, the prince took the opportunity to make a statement

"Traditions give us identity, it is true, but some customs have become obsolete in this time. I firmly believe in change and know that it will be best for the citizens of Arkaria to renounce their old customs and create new ones"

The interview was everywhere, but fortunately, there was a lot of positive feedback; Barry smiled as he looked at his phone.

"Bear, are you ready to practice yet?"

"Yes, I am impatient"

It would be the first time he used the bow, he didn't want to lose a second

* * *

Naturally there were more official events to go to, there was only a month left until the wedding and the whole country was going crazy; Barry passed the citizenship exam and was very happy, so much so that not even meeting a certain countess at one of these events could discourage him. 

It was a charity gala, the funds raised would be used to donate to children's hospitals, Barry was getting quite bored but then the music started and Oliver asked him to dance, that was better, they danced for a while until two guests showed up

"Your Highness, will you allow me to have your partner for a dance?"

"Of course"

Barry left with Sara, having to leave Oliver with Laurel, he had fun during his dance but at an unfortunate moment there was a change of partners, leaving him with Countess Lance less pleasant 

"Good evening, Mr. Allen, I see you're still here"

"That's right, Miss Lance, and you'll be seeing a lot of me, so I suggest you get used to it" 

"Never"

"So too bad for you, I would have liked things to be different but I see that you insist on being so antipathetic to me"

"It's more than antipathy, it's aversion" 

Thank heaven the piece is over

"Let's not make a fuss, see you later, Miss Lance" gave her his best smile

Barry let go of Laurel who looked at him offended, as if she were upset for not making him feel bad; he returned to Oliver who was watching the scene from a safe distance

"Something wrong?"

"Everything's fine. Want to dance?"

"I wouldn't dare say no"

They hugged again and Barry had to hold back his laughter when he saw Laurel bump into a waiter and end up covered in red wine.

* * *

After months of preparation, the wedding day finally arrived, it was a day of national joy, the ceremony would be broadcasted on television by local media as well as in the United States and other countries. The great event would be attended by the royal family, the nobility of Arkaria, some friends of both from the university, Barry's family and royal guests from other countries such as Queen Hippolyta and her daughter Princess Diana of Themyscira.

Barry was accompanied to the church by his mother, he was very nervous when he crossed the doors of the cathedral of Arkaria; Oliver was waiting at the altar next to his father, Barry felt that all the effort of those months was worth it when he saw Ollie smiling, in his green military suit, waiting to marry him. 

After exchanging vows and the rest of the religious service, they were finally married, they left the cathedral to receive congratulations from the people, then they were taken to the government palace where the reception would take place. When the wedding reception was over it was time for cake, Barry was more than happy, there was fruit cake and a chocolate cake; everything turned out well

* * *

Not being a completely conventional couple, they could not have an extended honeymoon since Oliver's coronation was scheduled for a few weeks after the wedding, Barry only asked for a trip to visit Arkaria. 

As the date of the coronation was so close, everyone in the palace was organizing things, Oliver and Barry moved to the house where the proposal was made, they took Raisa with them; it was late but Oliver was not in bed, Barry found him looking through the balcony 

"It's cold and late, why don't you come to sleep? I don't think you want to have dark circles under your eyes or a cold on your coronation day"

"I couldn't sleep, I'm nervous"

"You will do well"

Barry approached him and Oliver hugged him 

"Do you think I will be a good king?"

"The best Arkaria has ever seen, with all the respect your mother deserves"

Oliver laughed a little

"I hope the people think the same as you do, but in any case, the first thing I will do is disappear all the guillotines in the country"

"I don't think it's necessary, you have more than enough knowledge to lead this nation and you also have ideas that will change the history of Arkaria for the better"

"You always know what to say"

"One of my many talents"

Oliver smiled and kissed him on the forehead

"Did you say something about going to sleep?"

"Yes, would you like to join me?"

"You don't have to ask"

* * *

All in Arkaria were attentive to the TV, because the prince would be crowned king; in the government palace everything was ready. Oliver entered the hall where the ceremony would take place, according to tradition he had a red ermine cape, he stood in front of the attending crowd and the representative of the Parliament started the ceremony

"Sirs, I present to you Oliver Jonas Queen, your king. So, all of you who have come to pay your respects and service, are you willing to do so?"

All gave affirmative answers, continued the oath, addressing Oliver

"Do you swear to govern the nation of Arkaria in accordance with its laws and customs?" 

"I do solemnly swear" answered Oliver, placing a hand on the constitution that was left in front of him.

Then they went to the throne, Oliver sat down and immediately they put him his coronation ring, which means his commitment to the country, then they gave him the scepter of power and the sword of justice while they put him a crown encrusted with diamonds and emeralds, immediately an exclamation was heard in the whole enclosure

"Hail to the King!"

Once the coronation was done it was time to present the oath before the king, first the members of Parliament, then the church and finally the royal family, Oliver could not help but smile when it was Barry's turn 

"I, Bartholomew of Arkaria, become your vassal and devoted servant, I swear to live and die in your defense against any enemy"

When everyone had finished swearing allegiance to the new king, Barry's coronation ceremony as consort king began. After a process similar to the one Oliver went through, he received his crown, less luxurious than the king's but still beautiful. Already with both of them with their new titles, Oliver changed his cape for a purple one, same color as Barry was dressed; the protocol indicated that the new kings had to go out to the balcony to greet their subjects, first the king and then his consort but from that moment on Oliver noted that he would change things, waited for Barry and told him

"The crown you just received means that you have the same power and privileges as me, we are the same, don't walk behind me, walk beside me"

Barry nodded softly and did what he asked, to the surprised looks they arrived at the balcony, greeted the people gathered outside the palace

"What's next?" asked Barry. 

"Normally the _they lived happily ever after_ would come"

"That happens only in fairy tales"

"I know, that's why I promise you something better, just to be happy no matter what"

"Sounds good. I love you, Ollie"

"I love you too, Barry."

The end  
  



End file.
